Tis the season for shopping and the industry expects internet shopping to hit almost $30 billion this year, up twenty percent over last season. This compares to a projected overall increase of only two percent for the retail business this year.

As shoppers flock to the internet to avoid long lines, they must also navigate the shipping alternatives that can quickly eliminate any savings, especially with last minute delivery options.

Enter FedEx, UPS, DHL and USPS.

They are all vying for the retailer’s business while wooing shoppers …. Some spending in excess of $100 million on ad campaigns.

Kudos to the FedEx agency, BBDO / Germany, that created the print campaign that places two UPS delivery trucks on one of FedEx’s carriers.

FedEx had a history of creating memorable, edgy advertising that imbibes a sense of humor into every campaign. BBDO has been the FedEx lead agency for eighteen years and I suspect they will be around for another eighteen.

The design of the FedEx logo, by Lindon Leader back in 1994, as senior design director for Landon Associates, survives to this day as an example of award winning creativity using reverse optics in a very clever way.

Have you ever really looked at the logo? Look at the first version below. Do you see an arrow? Now look at the second version. You’ll never look at the logo again without focusing on the arrow!

On Monday, Google will have announced the coming of the Gphone, supported by a suite of software based on Linux. On the heels of that announcement, which includes a consortium of top tier companies in the mobile computing space, Google will not release details on the phone’s design or manufacturer which is rumored to be China’s e28.

Choosing e28 as the Gphone manufacturer and Linux software provider is an ingenious move that will certainly trump the popularity of the iPhone. Imagine a phone that makes calls using a low cost VOIP system on cellular networks and WIFI while seamlessly integrating data across diverse technology platforms. Add to that an open platform that will allow any programmer to develop add-on applications ala Facebook and you have the makings of a revolution in Mobile technology.As the Gphone positions itself in a high-tech market that is now dominated by Apple, it will need to match, if not exceed, the Apple design team’s ability to pull together a sleek, sexy look for the product.

The strategy balance between business use (the Blackberry user) and personal use (primarily by young adults) must be carefully weighed if the market is to be successfully penetrated by Google. Initial pricing will be crucial.